The present invention relates generally to a cellular telecommunications system having a security feature which allows only pre-authorized users to complete cellular telephone calls. More particularly, the cellular telecommunications system of the present invention permits cellular telecommunications providers to obtain pre-paid subscribers and eliminate credit-risk problems. In addition, the present invention provides anti-fraud protection for cellular service providers by allowing subscribers to designate protection codes which must be dialed before a telecommunications event will be completed. Further, the present invention provides pre-paid calling cards which allow subscriber's to purchase air-time and pay monthly access fees.
Conventional cellular telecommunications systems require the cellular provider to undertake credit screening and certify credit-worthy subscribers before enabling a user to access the cellular telecommunications system. Customarily, a potential subscriber will apply to the cellular service provider, who then undertakes a verification process to determine whether the potential subscriber is credit-worthy. If the potential subscriber has a positive credit rating, the subscriber is given access to the cellular system and is able to initiate or receive unlimited cellular telecommunications events during a certain period of time or during a certain number of billing cycles. If the subscriber regularly pays invoices for the telecommunications services, the subscriber's access to the telecommunications system continues unfettered. If the subscriber fails to pay invoices as they become due, the cellular service provider has the ability to discontinue the subscriber's access until the invoice is paid. Thus, pre-paid telecommunications access is a desirable feature to prevent fraudulent use of the telecommunications system. Additionally, the present invention provides anti-fraud capabilities by requiring that a pass-code or personal identification number (PIN) be dialed along with the called number before a telecommunications event will be completed.
Up to now, the cellular service provider had no means available to offer cellular telecommunications services on a prepaid basis, monitor the subscriber's cellular telecommunications usage in real time and discontinue access to the cellular telecommunications services immediately upon exhaustion of a prepaid account balance. Additionally, up to now, cellular service providers had no means available to prevent cellular theft by unscrupulous persons retrieving equipment serial numbers from cellular signal transmissions and "cloning" or reprogramming other cellular equipment to replicate a subscriber's telecommunications profile.
Also, to date, cellular service providers do not have a means to allow current pre-paid subscribers to purchase additional air time and pay for additional monthly access fees in real time at a purchase point other than a cellular service center in order to provide continued use of the cellular service to the subscriber.